This is a fascinating article and I sent it all of my friends. I think it illustrates the delimma for the 'average' woman. Why do we want to work? Who will take care of the children? (warning there's some language)

The question I have is what is the response of churches to these issues. This is 'real' life and I'm catholicism (RC or EO) doesn't have any answer. It doesn't acknowledge there is a problem. So catholicism grows more and more out of touch with the 'average' American. Sure those of us who want to play 'religion' will still sit in the pews. We'll pat ourselves on the back about how we're not like *them.* We're not "careerists" or "secularists." We'll wring our hands at the state of society and pull off into our little 'compounds,' homeschooling our children, etc.

Yes, this article is very well written. But Jennifer, I don't know why you insist on lumping EO and RC together as the same faith. They are not! Go back 1000 years ago and maybe they were, but certainly not today. It's a misrepresentation of reality, despite what your mind and your reasoning tell you!

As far as the "EO position" on motherhood, the "church's response" to the issue comes from all of her members, since while the Bishop is the earthly leader of the Church, Christ Himself is her head, and the "church's position" on any issue comes from how the faithful lead their lives. (This is why, for instance, my Bishop, His Grace TIKHON of San Francisco and the West says that the TRUE keepers of the faith are not bishops themselves but Orthodox Christians in Orthodox villages in Greece, the Middle East, Slavic lands, etc., for whom the Church is the center of their life and has been for hundreds of years....)

Most Orthodox Christian mothers I know choose to stay at home and spend the majority of their children, or have part-time jobs or work-at-home jobs that allow them to do so. So, I think, this is the "EO response" to this issue, i.e., how many, if not most, Eastern Orthodox women deal with it.

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"Anything that is worth accomplishing cannot be accomplished in a lifetime." - the Holy Fathers

Gregory, I'm a Roman Catholic. As a RC I believe that catholicism encompasses Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. If I believed that Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy were not the same faith, I would convert to Orthodoxy. I know, of course, that Orthodox Christians disagree.

Most Orthodox Christian mothers I know choose to stay at home and spend the majority of their children, or have part-time jobs or work-at-home jobs that allow them to do so. So, I think, this is the "EO response" to this issue, i.e., how many, if not most, Eastern Orthodox women deal with it.

Most? It sounds like you live in a low cost of living area OR the fathers all happen to be managers or execs. I know many Orthodox mothers who stay home - but I wouldn't say most. I've lived my whole life in coastal California ans unless you have a high salary working spouse, it is very difficult to even live - let alone actually buying any realestate. It's a difficult world out there with a lot of tough choices. Granted, there are probably many families out there that could afford to have a parent stay home with the kids, but many just can't.

Most? It sounds like you live in a low cost of living area OR the fathers all happen to be managers or execs. I know many Orthodox mothers who stay home - but I wouldn't say most. I've lived my whole life in coastal California ans unless you have a high salary working spouse, it is very difficult to even live - let alone actually buying any realestate. It's a difficult world out there with a lot of tough choices. Granted, there are probably many families out there that could afford to have a parent stay home with the kids, but many just can't.

Just want to say that historically, most women, both RC & EO worked, ( I mean brought some kind of income into the household) be it that they worked at home, or outside the home. The only major difference that I see now is that women either brought their children to work (keep in mind that for centuries young children would have jobs as well) or had the children work at home. It's rather different these days. For better or for worse, who knows.

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Now where were we? Oh yeah - the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...

So catholicism grows more and more out of touch with the 'average' American. Sure those of us who want to play 'religion' will still sit in the pews. We'll pat ourselves on the back about how we're not like *them.* We're not "careerists" or "secularists." We'll wring our hands at the state of society and pull off into our little 'compounds,' homeschooling our children, etc.

On the other hand, though, you have to ask in what sense the church is "out of touch". Is it because of excessive conservatism and stubbornness, or is it because there is sin in this aspect of the modern outlook? The church should always try to reach actual people, but never by making compromises with "the world, the flesh and the devil".